We start our tour on the top of the mountain and visit the most magnificent Sanctuary in Portugal and its magical staircase.
Known for the city of the Archbishops where we will visit its historical center, visit the interior of the Cathedral. We will have exclusive access to the interior of the chapels as well as the high choir of the monument.
Stop for a delicious lunch at the Diana Restaurant where the intense flavors of the northern cuisine of Portugal combined with the Vinho Verde (Green Wine).
The oldest castle in Portugal was where the first Portuguese king grew up and has a very important significance and a reference to the country's independence.
The Palace of the Dukes where we are dazzled by the luxuries of royalty from other times. A whole history of Portugal will be told by our local guides who have always followed the group.
At the end of the day we invite our visitors to discover the romantic medieval city of the historic center of Guimarães. We will stroll through the narrow old streets of the city and possibility for some souvenir shopping.
Braga & Guimarães are both beautiful hidden gems if you are staying in Porto. The rich history and beauty of both cities were a delight. Our guide was knowledgeable and struck a nice balance between guided tours and free time to explore on our own. I recommend adding this to your Porto itinerary!
To say I'm impressed with this company is a huge understatement. First of all it was a small group tour, well, we were the only people and the company did not cancel. They get a huge thumbs up for that. Our driver/tour guide Nuno Mendes was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable, kind and helpful. The sites were interesting and incredible to visit. Lunch was excellent, food and company awesome. I can't say enough good things about this tour. If I could I would give them 10 stars.
The tour of Bom Jesus Do Monte, Braga, and Guimaraes was wonderful. Sergio, our guide for the day and was super knowledgeable about history, and cultural significance of cities and sights. Lunch was included and ok. Highly recommend.
The stairs to the Temple Mount were unbelievable and our guide Nuno was super helpful. Friendly and he helped us with a minor medical issue.
Nuno is a most hospitable and friendly guide. Great driver too. Made the day trip very memorable. Wonderful to see Dom Jesus's and basilica of Braga.
Both cities are beautiful. A guided tour is the only way to go. We were able to see parts of the Braga cathedral that could only be accessed through a tour.
Fantastic tour with a very knowledgeable guide Miguel S. Who was very friendly and provided a lot of good info.
Our guide, Jorge Ferris, was amazing. We had a wonderful day.
Wonderful tour outside of Porto. We had a very knowledgeable local tour guide which made the trip educational and enjoyable.
Great tour! Our guide, Sergio, was great! Gave us so much history and information. One of my favorite tours this trip.
I cannot say enough about our experience today with Nuno!! From the very beginning pick up with a friendly face and a great day planned. Nuno was a fantastic private guide for the day for the four of us. A great lunch at the restaurant Diana, and a wonderfully orchestrated tour of important areas. We would highly highly highly recommend Nuno and this experience.
Great historical experience, we learned a great deal about the history of the castles and churches. Driver (Sergio) was very informative.
Review: It was an outstanding day exploring Braga and Guimarães with Alex! He is super knowledgeable and wonderfully personable, bringing the history of both cities to life effortlessly while keeping the entire day relaxed and enjoyable. The tour included a fantastic lunch, and Alex even took the time to share great insider tips and recommendations for my next stop.
These cities are magical. Our guide was great and very clear on directions how long we had to walk where the pick up was and bathrooms. I loved that he told is about Portuguese people and there lives
Two beautiful cities 45 minutes north from Porto. The cathedrals, castles , walking zones were superb. Nuno, our guide was terrific! Personable, knowledgeable and happy to do his job! Ask for him if you can. Lunch was included in Braga, restaurant called Diana was tasty. Thank you for a wonderful day .
Miguel is an excellent guide. His knowledge of Portuguese and British history was superb which enhanced the tour. Miguel is also great fun and we all enjoyed being in his company. The tour itself was great with visits to all the main sites in Braga and Guimaraes, and lunch was excellent. We would definitely recommend this tour and especially Miguel!
Braga and Guimarães are two small towns with limited number of attractions. If you want to see more than just Porto it is a nice day trip.
Wonderful day. Nuno was our driver, took great care of us and answered all our questions.
Guide/driver took care of us very well and knows the History of the place. Well sequence are the place visited. The car is old and aircon is not working very well.
This was a wonderful tour full of information. Nuno Mendes was so kind, gracious, and knowledgeable. He took care of our group from start to finish, anr you could sense how passionate he was about his job. It was excellent to learn about some of the most important events in Portugal’s history to better understand this country. We would book again with Nuno in a heartbeat!
Nice tour, nice places to visit the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is a must visit, very pleasant driver/guide Miguel (I hope I don’t misspelled the name) . Overall a great day. Thank you !
As a tour operator owner myself, I know what separates a good tour from a great one. Nunomendes went above and beyond with the itinerary, sharing extra insights, personal family stories, and his perspective on Portugal. Joining us for lunch was the highlight of the tour—it gave us a genuine look into Portuguese lifestyle straight from a local. On the logistics side, his time management was on point without ever making us feel rushed. By the end of the day, we wished we could have spent a few more hours with him!
George was a wonderful guide! So knowledgeable, passionate and professional! We had a wonderful time on our tour to Braga and Guimarães! The whole experience was well organized, enjoyable, and a great way to discover this beautiful part of Portugal. Braga and Guimarães is full of history, stunning architecture, and charming streets, and George made the visit even more interesting with fascinating stories and information along the way. Everything was smooth and relaxed, and we never felt rushed. It was a memorable day with beautiful sights and a great atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Portugal!
Great tour and incredible scenery. Highly recommend. Gorgeous countryside and tour guide was very knowledgeable.
Lovely day trip. George was very knowledgeable and full of interesting facts and made the whole experience very enjoyable.
Exactly as described.. Great guide, restaurant was clean and nice. Church was beautiful. Special areas worth the visit.
Jorge was excellent and tour was educational and fun. The lunch was exceptional and time spent at each location was perfect
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Nuno, he was very informative and speaks perfect English! The tour is a very full day but well worth it. Full of beautiful sites and incredible food and wine at Diana’s restaurant. There is a fair bit of walking. However, our group included a wide range of ages and everyone handled it very well. I would definitely recommend to people looking for a wonderful day of amazing sites and a bit of history.
The tour was excellent. We had five people in the group and it felt like a private tour. Our tour guide Tutu was very knowledgeable and attentive. He made every effort to make the tour fun and entertaining. I would highly recommend it.
This was a great trip and NOU NOU was a fabulous guide. There were five on the tour which was given in English and Spanish. The only problem was booking with Trip Advisor - book with Viator who own them and have to deal with any issues. I did not receive any email (even in spam) from Trip Advisor and although communicating through the TA App with Portugal Excellence Tours was excellent and they were helpful I could not get my tickets for days until I did an online chat with Viator who resent the email - there is NO WAY to directly communicate with Trip Advisor - they used to be so good but I am sticking to Viator from now on
It was a good experience. The lunch was great and very delicious. Andrés was awesome very courteous and knowledgeable.
Nuno was a wonderful tour guide. Our group was 6 people (not including Nuno). He was friendly and knowledgeable. There was a little more walking than we anticipated, but we still enjoyed the day tremendously. Lunch was included. I expected a lame sandwich. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a 3 course meal with a glass of wine. Everything was delicious. I would highly recommend this tour.
George, our driver/guide, was very good. He gave us a lot of history and information about each of our stops. Lunch was delicious too! Highly recommend!
Excellent tour service of the Braga hilltop Bascillica and town Cathedral including inside museum. Followed by an excellent lunch. Finally tour of the castle, palace and town of Guimaraes.
Miguel was a very knowledgeable guide. He knew so much history including dates & names. Definitely the trip to take if you want to learn.
Miguel was brilliant. Well versed in the history.and religion. He made our day very enjoyable. It was a fantastic tour.
Miguel was the BEST tour guide I've ever had - and I've been on a LOT of tours. He's very nice, knowledgeable. He communicates well, is clear with directions and meeting areas, and is generous in giving you free time to explore and take pictures.
Lots of walking but well worth it, with tons of history and little nuggets that make everything connected for each place visited. Historic Portugal really comes to life!
Good tour. Nuno is very polite.
Very worthwhile tour, beautiful scenery, very educational, keep in mind. There are quite a few steps. we had a great guide and a delicious lunch included.
Guide was great- very knowledgeable, lunch was also very good
Our Braga and Guimarães small group tour was a truly enjoyable experience from start to finish. Miguel was an excellent guide—very knowledgeable about Portuguese history, friendly, and full of a great sense of humor. He also paid attention to each person in our small group. The lunch at a local restaurant was another highlight. The Portuguese food was fantastic, and the warm atmosphere made the meal feel even more special. Everyone in the group was friendly, and by the end of the tour, it felt like we were traveling with friends. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Portugal who wants to learn more about its rich history, enjoy beautiful cities, taste delicious local food, and have a memorable small-group experience.
Lovely trip to Braga and Guimares and opportunity to see both cities as well as the Bom Jesus. Lunch was also lovely.
Nunu is very punctuate, organized and super nice and knowledgeable about Portugal history. We had a great trip, spent good time at different spots and enjoyed great food.
Amazing experience and knowledgeable and fun guide. I highly recommend this for a fun day with a delicious lunch. It is great to get out to the countryside and learn about the history of Portugal.
My spouse and I had a lovely time seeing this area of Portugal. Our guide, Sergio, was prompt and helpful.
Informative and relaxing tour led by a knowledgeable local guide with a great sense of humor. A great way to see the highlights of Braga and Guimares while also having time inside a few sites.
Wonderful experience! Neuno was an excellent driver, incredibly informative and a pleasure to spend the day with. Sites we visited were incredible.
This was great tour. Our guide took the time to explain the historical context of the monuments
Our tour guide Sergio was awesome. He picked us up on time. Our group was very small and I loved that. He is a very good historian. We spent plenty of time at each place, learning and taking in the beauty of each place. I conquered walking up the steps, which was worth it. There’s a fountain at each level and small cathedrals. I love learning the history and beauty of this place.
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